Family Ties
by longhand.love.letters
Summary: Chloe finds out about her biological family when her mother is kidnapped. Will someone be there to save her? Or is this one fight she must fight alone?
1. Life, Death, and Love

"Chloe?" I had answered the phone seeing that it was my mom calling.

"Hi, mom, are you okay?" I could feel the fear radiating from her voice through the phone.

"Chloe, normally I would say yes, but there is a man here who wants to talk to you and kind of has me tied to a chair." A tiny laugh shuttered through the phone. My blood ran cold.

"Mom, where are you? Are you hurt? Do whatever they ask you to do! Don't worry about me! You are going to be fine! I promise!" The phone was taken from her and I could here her shouts to me in the background. I hoped Alek hadn't heard me. I walked to the window and saw him about ten rooftops away keeping watch, listening to his iPod.

"Chloe King, Uniter of the Mai. I would love to meet you, and I'm sincerely sorry that it has to be on these terms. I have your mother with me, and we'd absolutely be overjoyed if you'd meet us. There is no reason she needs to be harmed if you come willingly and alone." I grimaced.

"Where?" I tried to say it in my perkiest voice so that, Alek, if he came up on my roof would not be able to hear the fear and hardness of my voice. He gave me an address and hung up.

I climbed up through my window onto the roof. I smiled at Alek now sitting there, and sat down next to him but all I could think of was my mom a few miles away and what could be happening to her. Alek smiled back and for once I was so glad that he wasn't an empath.

"Hey, Chloe." He smiled.

"Hi, Alek, I was actually wondering if you could go on a cocoa run. I'm not ready to sleep yet but I don't want any caffeine. I can give you money if you'll do that for me?" I batted my eyelashes and put on my most innocent smile, while biting my lip.

He looked surprised for a moment and then winked. "Um, sure, but go inside and lock your window and turn off your lights. I'll only be a few minutes." And he was gone. I smiled in triumph before sobering up again. I turned off all of the lights, grabbed a few weapons and hid them all over my body strategically, closed my window, and started leaping off across rooftops. When I reached the address I jumped to the street and quickly realized it was Brian's home.

Oh no! What if they've got Brian and his dad! I ran forward and snuck around back. I jumped to a second story balcony and peeked through the window. It was Brian's room and it was dark. I opened the French doors and walked in silently. Suddenly the light flipped on and I blinked twice and saw Brian standing there with a smirk.

"Just couldn't stay away, Chloe?" He teased with me. "You know, I have a front door, and my dad doesn't care when girls come and go." I smirked at him.

"Brian, is there someone here? I mean, bad people, and a woman. A woman named Meredith?" He smiled and stepped forward.

"Yes, Chloe, there are."

"What? Brian you've got to get out of here! They'll kill you!" He sighed dramatically and closed the distance between us.

"Chloe, you would kill me too. Now tell me," and his hand came up from his pocket. "does this smell like chloroform to you?" I gasped as the rag covered my face and I fell limp into Brian's arms as my conscious mind fell into black.

Sometime later I woke up bound, blind, and gagged. I nodded my limp head up and down to make sure that I could still move. Someone ripped off the blindfold and gag and I found myself looking at my mom across from me. She smiled reassuringly and then grimaced as someone grabbed me by the top of my head.

"Hello, darling." A man I had never met before looked down at me. I spit at him. He slapped me. Brian walked into the room.

"Hey, dad." He smiled and sat in a cushy looking leather chair and stared at me. "Chloe." I sneered at him.

"Chloe, darling," Brian's dad spoke. "I'm going to tell you a story. It's about a Mai girl from the Ukraine. You see when she was very young she was separated from her real parents during the beginning of the country. She was put in an orphanage and then adopted out. Her new parents took her home to San Francisco and raised her as a human. Her real parents were both Mai, as is required to create a Mai. Little did she know that her real mother ran away from her father to run the Pride in San Francisco in order to find her lost daughter and reunite with her. Then they found out that she was the Uniter and decided that some secrets are best kept as secrets. Well, her real father felt betrayed and so he as well moved to San Francisco and betrayed the Mai to become the Leader of the Order. He fell for a human girl and the Order gave him the antidote for the kiss of the Mai. He was so happy. But then they married and had a child, a boy. And she became more and more sick. She finally began to feel better after a while and things went back to normal. One day he found out his wife had been cheating. He was angry. Angrier than he had ever been in his entire life! So he kissed her long and hard and left her antidoteless. No one ever discovered what it was that had killed her." He paused and looked at Brian, who had tears in his eyes. "Their little boy was human and one day he fell for a Mai girl, in fact, he fell for the Uniter. His father explained to him everything about the Mai and what could happen and what that race had done to his mother. And now, that Uniter will die eight more times because of what she is." He pulled a gun from his back and shot me through the stomach. I cried out. My mom passed out crying.

"You're my real father? And," I grunted in pain. "Valentina, she's…my mother?" My father shook his head evilly as I bled out everywhere.

"No, Valentina took over after my…your mother. After I killed your mother of course." I tensed against the pain and reached for the pocket on the inside of the back of my jeans where I had placed a knife. I cut the ropes behind me, and in a flash I threw the medium sized knife straight into the heart of my father.

Brian stood angrily as I leaned over in pain to unbind my legs. "You're race will not take both of my parents without a price." I felt the cocked gun against my head and froze.

In the next instant my mom woke from her faint and yelled "Chloe!" Brian looked at her and I found my chance. I kicked straight at Brian and his finger pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed my head and my neck and back and I felt fragments of bone break off. There was blood everywhere. Before I could pass out, I grabbed the gun from Brian and shot him in his side, his knee, and his shoulder, enough to decapitate him. I threw one of my knives across the floor to my mom so she could cut herself free. Brian lay writhing on the floor and I could feel too much blood pounding out of me. I dropped to my knees clenching my stomach with one hand and my head and neck with the other. Everything was in slow motion through my eyes. I dropped the gun and a bloody hand grabbed it. I looked up to see the barrel of the gun at my forehead and the evil face of my father staring at me, before I saw a heel clad foot kick it up, snatch it out of the air and shoot my father through the head. When I looked up it was my mom, my real mom, not my biological mom, but the one who'd raised me nearly my entire life. I dropped dead to the ground but looked up.

"Mom, call Alek. I love you." And I was gone.

The next thing I could feel was pressure on my stomach and my head, neck, and back. I was running, or rather being carried while someone else ran. I flinched at a bump and the person looked down as they ran across a rooftop. Alek.

I saw a light above me and it looked warm and healthy and inviting and I wanted it. I closed my eyes to get closer…

"NO, CHLOE! You stay with me!" I moaned in protest. I just wanted to be somewhere that didn't hurt so bad, and wasn't so cold. He jumped to the ground and then we were in a building and climbing stairs fast. I could hear Alek's labored breathing.

I closed my eyes again to see that light. Wow, it was beautiful and glowing and…

"CHLOE!" I flinched in pain as he shook me awake. I heard splintering wood, like a door giving way. I was set on a hard surface, like a table. I heard Jasmine and Valentina come in with medical supplies. Alec and Jasmine cried openly as Valentina worked over me. Alek began helping her. When I could feel strength in my limbs, I swatted away their hands.

"Just let me die. It's easier and I'll come back to life." I sighed and closed my eyes, but they kept working. There was the light again, I reached out to touch it. It sucked me in. I screamed in pure agony. I felt like I was touching the sun. I could feel my bones remolding and regenerating and the bullet in my body was being torched into nothing. I couldn't stand the fire in my body, the skin searing back together. They were right the second time dying is so much more painful then the first. And then my mind ripped open. I felt memories all the way from the Ukraine pouring into my head. It was all so painful. Everything hurt and I screamed in agony for what felt like days. Eventually the pain dulled to a throb that pulled only a moan from my lips.

I woke up.

Valentina, my mother, Jasmine, and Alec were all standing over me. I smiled, but no one else did. I tried to sit up and then moaned because the bruises were still there throbbing painfully. I lay back down carefully and hissed in pain because even though the outside of my body was fixed the inside tissue was still healing everywhere. My head was roaring in pain and the first thing I said was, "Ibuprofen?"

My mom smiled and grabbed a bottle from the counter and a glass of water. I drank the entire thing.

I let Alek carry me to the couch, and then he walked back toward his room. Jasmine and Valentina talked to my mom about what all she saw, and when she couldn't fill in the blanks from when she was passed out, I told them. The leader of the Order was dead, Brian was dead, and I had died.

Surprisingly, I didn't get chewed out. Maybe because they had more information. Or because they knew that it was my mother that I had gone to save, and they couldn't reprimand me for that.

Later, after I had rested and eaten a bit, I got up and headed to Alek's room. He was sitting out on his balcony letting his feet hang over. It was several hundred feet to the ground, but he didn't seem to care. He sat there shirtless staring at the city. I walked up quietly behind him and grabbed his shoulders. He jumped in surprise.

I giggled. "If I was an assassin, you'd be dead right now." I whispered into his ear and he shivered. "If you're cold maybe you should put a shirt on."

He almost smirked and retorted, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Chloe, why would you do that to me?" I knew he wasn't talking about what I'd just done from the depressed look in his eyes.

I sighed. "It was my mom. It's what I do for those I care about. If you were in the same position I would've done the same, lost a life and all." He spun off of the balcony and pushed me into the wall of the building.

"Chloe, I almost died with you. When I realized you'd tricked me and I had no way of knowing where you were. The only reason I did find out was because when you were dying you asked your mom to call me. When you screamed in agony for all of the time you were dying my heart was ripped out, broken, and shredded until it was just this mushy pile of nothing! You broke me, Chloe. You know how? Because when I first pushed you up against that wall in school, once I'd realized you were Mai, I was in love with you already. Had been for a long time, but I didn't know that I could be! And my job is to protect you, and I can't even do that. I can't protect you. Do you know how much it hurts for me to admit that to you? That as important as you are to me and to our race, I can't protect you from yourself?" There were tears in his eyes. "I love you, Chloe King. Now and always. But, I need to be able to know you're okay. Because I don't know if I'll live through what happened tonight again."

I was about to say that I didn't know if I would either to lighten the mood, but I couldn't. "I love you, too, Alek Petrov, always have, always will." I smiled and pressed my lips into his. He pushed me back into the wall, but the kiss itself was not passionate or teenage. It was loving, beautiful, and old as time.


	2. NOTE!

All who have read my FanFic! I'm new and this is my first! Haha! Um, thanks if anyone's left reviews, but I want to know if I should continue this story or just leave it where it ended and think up a new one after this next episode or…? Any other shows I should write one for? Haha! Just let me know! I'm open to anything! Oh, and if anyone has ideas for the next chapter, review or send me a message…I don't know where to go from where I've got it…Or, I do…but, I'm not sure about it yet…ideas! Haha, TTYL!


	3. Assassin In Hiding

Heyy! I decided to upload again, because I got an itch for an idea to keep going and I couldn't scratch it…so here goes!

P.S. Here's how this goes. Whitney Rezza loved a girl in the Ukraine (not Valentina) and they had Chloe, then his girl ran away from him when they lost Chloe during the beginnings of the country. He ran after his girl and Chloe became an orphan. When he got to SF he found that the love of his life ran the Pride and in revenge for running away from him, he killed her. He decided that it would be better if he joined the Order. He became the leader because he was Mai that turned over and therefore he knew where many of them were. Chloed adoptive parents found her and took her home to be raised in SF. Valentina is NOT related to Chloe in any way. Valentina was the leader of the Pride after Rezzas lover was killed. He married a human and found a way to have a son with her. She cheated he killed her. Brian and Chloe are only related because they have the same dad, that's it. Make sense? If not review and I'll try to explain better! Thanks for all of the reviews so far!

Review!

Lots of love!

Alek and I had kissed for a little while and then just sat and watched TV in his room until my mom knocked and told me it was time to leave. She seemed contemplative and tired. On the way home it was silent in the car, but she took my hand and I occasionally saw tears stream down her face.

We reached the house but both of us sat there in the car with heat blowing on our faces. Eventually she turned to face me.

"Chloe, I love you." She looked hurt, probably because I hadn't told her sooner, but she squeezed my hand and smiled through her tears.

I felt a tear trickle down my face but smiled as well, "Implied." I squeezed her hand back.

"I love you and I want you to know that I will do anything to keep you from losing any more of your lives." She turned off the engine.

"And mom? I'll do anything to keep you safe." I smiled and we both got out of the car.

I headed to my room, put on a tank top and short jammie shorts and snuck between the covers. Before I could fall asleep I heard tapping on my window. I got up and walked over to the locked window; Alek smiled through at me. I smiled back and opened it wide for him to come in. He leaped through the window and onto the floor soundlessly before picking me up bridal style and carrying me to my bed. He layed next to me and kissed me before cuddling me into him.

"I love you, Chloe. I will do everything I can to protect you for as long as I live." I smiled and cuddled deeper into his chest.

"I love you too, Alek." I breathed before falling asleep.

…..

The next morning I woke with Alek stroking through my curly bed head. I looked up and he smiled. I sat up and somersaulted off of my bed before running to the bathroom. I showered and brushed my teeth in record time. When I walked back in with a towel wrapped around my body, I saw my mom sitting talking with Alek as he lay comfortably on my bed. He saw me and smirked and my mom turned around and smiled.

"Morning, Sweetie." I smiled at her.

"Morning, Mom!" I said enthusiastically. I ran off into my walk-in closet and choosing a super cute, flowy, floral, skort, (I know, kinda retro, but hey! If I get into any tiffs with bad guys I don't want to be flipping around showing off everything!) And a vee neck, shell pink, shirt with little buttons to do or undo the vee part, and a cute white blazer. I put on some strappy sandals and came out into my room. My mom appraised my outfit and then nodded in approval while Alek looked on at me with a smirk and I knew that I would be getting quite a few innuendos about it later. I told my mom that Alek and I were going to go get some coffee and she told us to go ahead and have fun.

On our way out of the house Jasmine caught up to us. "Here's your coffee, now get in the car. Valentina wants to talk to us. Oh and your mom-"

"Is right here!" My mom walked down the stairs to the car.

"Fantastic!" Jasmine exclaimed. "I called Amy, she and Paul are on their way."

"Okay?" I said confusedly. I got in the backseat with Alek while my mom sat in the front next to Jasmine. The car was nice, some kind of BMW.

"Mmm, like I said before, the Mai are doing good!" I said with a smirk.

I should've seen it coming, "Oh, yes, I can do very good." Alek smirked into my ear and I blushed. Fortunately he spoke low enough that my mom couldn't hear.

Eventually we got to Valentina's and headed to the elevator. But then Alek grabbed my hand and told Jasmine that we'd meet them up there. He waited for the next elevator got on and waited until halfway before pressing the emergency stop button and pinning me to a wall.

He kissed me until my head spun. He tipped my head back when he dug his fingers in my hair and my mouth fell open. I could breathe now and we shared each others breath as we kissed. My hands around his neck wound into his hair and I pulled him closer to me. He smiled and kissed my jaw. Before long I realized we had to stop no matter how much I wanted to stay just like that. I pulled him closer for one last deep mouthwatering kiss and then pushed him away and pulled the button back out so we could keep going.

"I've always wanted to do that." Alek said.

"What? Kiss me passionately in an elevator after you've pressed the emergency stop button so that we have more time?" He smirked and I took it as a yes and blushed a bit. The doors opened and Jasmine stood there arms crossed, tapping her foot. She smirked and turned back to go into the suite. Alek and I followed into the room where Valentina and my mom were talking. They looked up when we came in and while Valentina looked appraisingly my mom looked concerned. She relaxed a bit when she noticed Alek's arm protectively sitting at the small of my back.

I smiled and Valentina gestured for us to sit. We sat in the loveseat with Jasmine on the arm and the two mothers in chairs across the room. Amy and Paul walked in as soon as we were all seated and they sat in another chair with Paul on the chair and Amy comfortably on his lap.

"Chloe, we have to go into hiding. All of us." I could feel the shock on my face. "We have to hurry, we don't know who the new leader of the Order is and I don't want to stick around long enough for him to be able to trick us. We're leaving tomorrow night. Amy, Paul, tell your parents that you are going to South America for a few weeks for a cultural experience. Whatever you have to, if needed have them call me. But tomorrow we are all getting on a plane. End of discussion."

Alek took my hand and kissed my knuckles. We all stood up and left to pack.

The next day we met at the suite and got into a couple of taxis. Amy and Paul in one, Valentina and my mom in one, and me, Alek and Jasmine in one. We got to the airport and got on a flight to South America. Once on the plane Valentina sent a mass text to us telling us that South America was a throw off and as soon as we got there we'd head to Europe. A hiding place in Ireland to be exact.

Two days later I was pulling a couple bigger-than-me suitcases through the Irish countryside. It was awfully beautiful. But that isn't why I was here. We were here to be safe.

We were staying in a Castle owned by the Mai and there were plenty already there waiting for our arrival. We all had different rooms though mine had a hidden exit that went into Alek's room next door or continued through and out of the castle. We were all pretty exhausted and took a nap for a few hours before heading to dinner. At dinner I was introduced to many Mai, but there was one in particular that stood out to me.

"Hello, your excellence." The man in front of me bowed. He could not have been older than Alek but he seemed to have oldness about him, he also seemed to be a bit like Alek. Cocky.

"I'm Chloe, and you can call me that." He smirked and nodded.

"Chloe then." He kissed my hand and I blushed while an infuriated Alek came up and wrapped an arm around my waist pulling me against him possessively and subtly sniffing my neck. "I'm Sebastian." He smiled at me. "And if you ever get tired of him, my bed, I mean, my door is always open." Subtle. Not. I smiled and then took my hand and grabbed Alek's, he smirked in triumph over my head. Sebastian nodded and walked away, but there was something wrong radiating from him in emotional waves.

That night I decided to go exploring through the hidden door that led trough the castle. I didn't take anyone because I was in a Mai filled castle in hiding. I couldn't possibly be in danger. I walked through for a couple minutes in the dark, and then my ears picked something up. I stopped but didn't hear anything. I walked a few more steps than stopped abruptly I listened hard and found a heartbeat but I was too late, with feline speed there was someone behind me, and I didn't even get the opportunity to turn and look before a knife was at my throat. Whoever this assassin was, he was skilled. He didn't take his time in getting me anywhere. He just slit my throat let me drop and walked away.

I died in that cold passageway in utmost pain. Dang it! Now I'm at six!

Alek was going to be furious.

There's an assassin in the castle.

Sorry it's kinda slow, but it's going to get bigger and bigger…hmm, how many lives should I take? Haha, I was getting bored so at the end I killed her. I'm pretty sure you all know who the assassin is, but I don't know if you've connected the other dots yet. Don't spoil it. If you know who the assassin is and the other thing I'm talking about, (not giving out any hints) PM me…please Review! Thanks guys!

P.S. thanks to this chapter I now have to keep going!


	4. Emotions that Kill

Hey guys! Thanks for all of the fantastic reviews! You are all amazing! It is because of you that I will continue. I'm going on a Pioneer Trek from Wednesday to Saturday and will not be able to upload, but that's plenty of time for thoughts right? Um, I'll upload today and tomorrow! (Hopefully)

Recap: Chloe went into hiding. Chloe died. Again. That's 6.

I'm pretty sure my agonizing screams of death tore through the entire castle like a tornado. I heard heartbeats speeding up through the stone walls. I convulsed in pain as the fire seared my neck back together sealing major veins and arteries. When the pain finally began to ebb I tried to lift my head and found it impossible. It hurt so much even now. I heard footsteps and fear crept through me at the thought that the assassin had come back to do it again. I tried to lift my head again but I simply could not do it. But as the footsteps drew nearer I felt adrenaline rush through me and in one painful jolt I flipped from my back to my feet, poised for a threat. When the footsteps reached me I realized that it was Sebastian. He grimaced when he looked at my neck, but in my relief, I fainted. He caught me and carried me back through the dark halls of the castle.

When we finally came out into a normal corridor he carried me to my room. Valentina and Jasmine were pacing. I had not fully passed out, only enough that I had no energy to do anything but look and hear. He laid me on my bed and I heard Valentina speaking softly to Alek through the line.

"Yes, she's here…in bed…Sebastian found her and brought her here…I don't know…you'll have to ask one of them." As soon as she hung up, Alek came through the door. He was in Sebastian's face in an instant.

"I trusted you to watch her for a few hours. And you let her off your guard and she got hurt." His voice was like Acid and it made me wince, which in turn hurt my neck and I gasped in pain. Alek turned to me and I looked in his eyes. Through his eyes I could feel unimaginable pain, fury, disappointment, and jealousy, but I could also feel joy and extreme happiness, love, and possessiveness.

"Chloe," Valentina started but hesitated.

Alek cut her off, "Chloe, were you hurt?"

I nodded, but hissed in pain, "Yes. I…I died. Again." Alek's fists clenched and he looked like he was ready to kill someone. Everyone in the room took one big step back from him, and if I wasn't in so much pain, and he wasn't so infuriated, it would've been comical. But no, it was threatening.

We locked eyes and then I did something I didn't know I could do. I sent him some peace; I calmed him with my own worn out emotions. He relaxed noticeably and walked over until he could touch my face. I ignored the pain and buried my face in his palm. He smiled down at me and looked back at Valentina, silently asking her for privacy.

Everyone left and I began talking, my voice hoarse. "Alek, I truly didn't mean to. I was only curious as to what the rest of the castle looks like."

He sighed. "Chloe, do you remember anything about the assassin?"

I shook my head. "I didn't see a thing, he was good. He came up behind me put the knife against my throat and before I could tell or scream or defend anything he slit my throat and walked away. And don't even try that whole 'you just aren't training well enough' thing. This attacker was amazing and not even you would've known he was there. It was like he turned off his heartbeat until he was right behind me." I winced when the argument got a little overenthusiastic and I hurt my neck. Alek lay down in the huge bed next to me and kissed my neck where it hurt. He kissed it softly and gently until I felt my pulse picking up and pulled his head by his hair to my lips. He leaned over me, with his weight on his hands so as not to crush me, and kissed me. It was one held with a smirk and a promise of forever.

"Chloe?" He asked.

"Alek?" I countered between his lips.

He pulled away but I followed him as far as my pain would allow me my lips still searching for his.

"When you found out that the leader of the Order was your father what did you feel?"

"Absolutely nothing. I didn't know him, past the fact that he wanted me dead. I didn't feel betrayal or hurt…Brian on the other hand. Well, that almost broke my heart. But then I realized I had you. And so when I was dying the first thing I told my mom was to call you, because I knew you cared for me and you would do your best to save me. I still can't believe my mom killed Whitney Rezza, but he had it coming. But having you, when Brian betrayed me, even with such a smooth line in which he did it—"

"Which was?" Alek asked with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Tell me, does this smell like chloroform to you? And then he covered my face with a rag. Anyhoo, when that happened, I knew I could go on, because I had you, and I would always have you. Because, because even then I loved you, even though I didn't quite realize it." Alek grinned and kissed me again.

"Chloe, I hope you know that if you thought I was annoyingly protective before, I'm now going to be breathing down your neck every second of every day, and I mean that, sleeping in my arms…" He cuddled be against him and kissed my neck again.

"Alek, the only breathing you're allowed to do down my neck is the heavy kind that comes with lost of kissing."

"Chloe, I do believe that could be arranged." He smirked and kissed me full on the lips until we were both breathless and I opened my mouth and allowed him entrance so that we could share our breaths.

Little did either of us know that a certain black clad figure stood outside my door listening to the entire conversation and the kisses being exchanged. Unfortunately for Alek and me he was too good at controlling his emotions. I could only feel the faintest covered up traces of jealousy, possessiveness, and rage.

I listened extremely hard for a heartbeat and Alek noticed as I became serious. "Chloe?" His tone was worried.

I smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing." I kissed him again, but felt for the emotions, I found them once again.

But I could not find the heartbeat that went with them.

AN: Okay, so I really hope you liked it! I will most definitely try to post tomorrow, but you should know that I'm truly pushing myself! Haha! Um, if theres something else you want in there, let me know! Want me to make you a character…put you in your own little love triangle or something? Just Review and leave me your name, whether you want to be Mai or Human and the names of the people you want to have a LT with…(no Alek or Sebastian, I've got enough going on with them, thank you very much!) Um, lemme know what you think and predictions and whatever else you want to put? More action…sounds good to me! I've been dreaming in Chloe King for like 6 weeks so, I'm sure I can put something cool in there…oh, and I need to bring Amy, Paul, and Meredith into the story again…Amy and Paul are breaking up in the next episode (or at least that's what I got from the promo) so…lets see how great I can make their breakup…oh and should I do an Alek or Sebby (yes that's what I call him in my mind!) POV? Review! Review! Review!

Lots of Love!1

L.L.L 3


	5. War

The next day my neck didn't hurt anymore. Just like most nights Alek had fallen asleep next to me, holding me. I woke at 5 AM exactly. I maneuvered carefully out of Alek's arms so as not to wake him up. I got up and took a quick shower before getting dresses and heading out in search of food. I headed out into the chilly corridor, but before I got very far, I felt a hand grab my arm. My instincts took over and my eyes turned to slits. Before I registered what I was doing my foot was fan-kicking into the face of my attacker. They stumbled back a moment and I took the opportunity to land a punch to the stomach and the sucker punched the figure in the groin. In an instant he was writhing on the floor. I smiled and stood at the ready.

"Geez, Chloe! What the heck was that?"

I recognized Sebastian's voice. "Oops, sorry, Sebastian. I didn't recognize you. What were you doing outside my door?"

"Guarding?" He countered and stood slowly. "Way to knock a guy out." He cringed as I reached out my hand and pulled him up to fast.

I smiled proudly. "I was just heading to get some breakfast. Alek's still asleep. Want to come?"

"Wait. Does Alek sleep with you?" He looked disgusted.

"Oh, no! Not like that. I mean, he sleeps next to me, but not with me." I laughed in surprise and embarrassment.

I felt a wave of jealousy roll off of him but ignored it. I turned and started walking away. I looked over my shoulder long enough to yell, "Coming?" He nodded and caught up.

"You know," he whispered in my ear. "if you ever need a pal at 5 AM for any reason at all, just let me know." I punched him in the shoulder and he chuckled and pulled back. We reached the kitchen and I sat on a stool while one of the cooks pulled out a bowl and pointed to the cabinet with all of the cold cereal. I nodded appreciatively and made myself some cocoa puffs. Sebastian and I chatted while we ate until about 6:30, when I headed back to my room. We saw quite a few Mai on the way back and once there we parted ways. I went in to see Alek shirtless on my bed.

"Liking the view?" I blushed a bit before walking slowly to the bed and lying right over top of him. I leaned down and kissed him before pulling away leaving him wanting more.

"Mmmmm…Chloe come back." He smirked as I lay next to him.

"Go shower." I pointed toward the large jetted shower in the spacious bathroom.

"Are you coming with me?" His smirk grew and he rolled over to kiss my forehead before getting up and heading to the showers.

I made my bed and sat down for a moment before hearing a knock at the door. I stood up and walked over to open it.

"Hi! My name is Samantha. I'm one of your guards. Just thought you should know who I am." I smiled and was about to answer her when I felt my phone vibrate across the room.

"Hold that thought." I pointed my index finger at her before running to grab my phone. I froze when I saw the caller ID.

BRIAN

I shuddered, but pressed ACCEPT.

"Chloe! I'd hoped you'd answer. Oh, Chloe I miss you so much. I truly am in love with you and I almost died when my father told me I had to kill you. And then he told me it was your fault my mother was dead and I was so angry. And then he let it slip that it was his fault, but I was so confused. I want you back, and now that I know what you are, well, we can Unite everyone, humans and Mai. I'll take the antidote when we kiss, we can make this work! Please Chloe, please come back to me."

"Brian, I –"

"Chloe, consider this an out, you can fix the mess going on right under your nose. You see, I have strategically placed the Order in your castle. They look like Mai, act like Mai, maybe even are Mai. And for every true faithful Mai there, there are two Order members to kill them. If you leave the castle through those secret tunnels now, we won't harm any of them. If you don't come, you'll have a war you can't win going on in there. You can be with me, or no one." I heard a dial tone and realized he'd hung up.

Quickly I called Valentina. "Have everyone prepared for a fight. Brian's still alive, for every Mai in the castle there are two of the Order. They look like Mai, be on your guard." I turned to see Samantha frozen in place. Her emotions were anywhere from fear to confusion. I could tell she was Mai.

"Samantha, when Alek gets out of the shower, I need you to tell him everything I just told Valentina." I headed for the door that lead to the secret tunnels.

She grabbed my arm. "Where are you going? I'm supposed to protect you."

"Alek will find me, but you need to tell him what I told you to. He's going to need to fight for everyone here first. It's time for me to end this." I turned toward the tunnels and disappeared.

On my way through the tunnels I felt someone. A heartbeat, fast and scared.

"Who's—" An arm snaked around my waist and pulled me against a body, front to front. I immediately recognized Alek.

"Chloe! Have you lost your mind? Why would you do this?" I could feel his worry and fury.

"Alek, Valentina always says that even one of my lives is worth a thousand of yours. That can't be true! I'm the Uniter! What happens when I have nothing left to unite?" He stood in silence. "Alek, if I can't do this. What is my point? I'm going to go out there and try to get this right. You can't stop me." I broke away from him and started on my way until I felt him throw me over his shoulder and take me back.

I lay silently thinking of a way out. "Alek," Oh, I hope he'll forgive me! "Do you remember when we were training with our sticks, and you told me 'You never know when you're going to be sucker-punched?'"

"Yes," he said suspiciously. Before he could think I kicked him. Hard. In the place where the sun don't shine. He doubled over. I used the opportunity to get my feet planted firmly on the ground, grabbed him around the waist and with all of my momentum and weight I flung him over my shoulder and onto the cement ground. I made sure not to let his head hit but he was still in a lot of pain.

"Alek, please forgive me. I'm so sorry." I leaned down and kissed him before tearing away with tears in my eyes and running all the way through the castle and to the outside. When I got out there, I took a deep breath. I looked up.

There stood Brian, with not only a ton of Order, but a few hundred other people too.

When the wind blew downwind I realized just what I was looking at.

Jackals.

I backed into the wall before anyone saw me. I ducked back through the door. Someone grabbed my arm.

"My name is Ky. I'm a Jackal. I know what they're planning. If you'll help me, I'll help you. I need out of that mess. They want to kill me."

I nodded and we turned to walk back through the tunnels. We made it to where I had thrown Alek over my shoulder and he jumped out from the shadows and grabbed me into a hug.

"Oh Chloe! You're okay!" He looked me up and down and then over my shoulder. "Why is there a Jackal trailing you?" He threw me hard between him and the wall and I felt my head bounce. I knocked against Alek's shoulder.

"Chloe!" Alek looked behind him when he saw the Jackal pointing.

He lifted me up and this time I let him carry me back through the tunnels with Ky close on his heels. He kept looking over his shoulder.

Ky smiled a friendly smile before saying, "Take me to your leader." He teased and Alek arched an eyebrow. "Take me to Valentina. I know battle strategies, things they've got on their side. I can tell you how to win."

"Why should we trust you?" Alek asked suspiciously.

I looked up and gauged his emotions. "He's telling the truth. He's terrified and he trusts us. He trusts you not to kill him Alek. That takes quite a bit of trust. Took me a while to figure that one out." I smirked up at him.

We opened the door to my room, but Ky stayed back in the tunnels. I looked up and there stood Valentina, arms crossed.

Brian stood on one side of her and Sebastian on the other.

The tables had turned and I was terrified.


End file.
